Old Slave-Driver Me

You just don't know what to think.  There is a fine lady who cleans my house for me, and another fine lady who comes a couple of times a week to ride herd on the outdoors part of the house--patio, yard, and vehicle park (a place where all the grandkids' bikes are stored).  Yesterday these women showed up, and a few minutes afterwards, M. came in to say that L., my full-time help, felt very bad and needed to lie down, that she was vomiting. 

Horrified, I went to find her and she was dragging herself around my bathroom, trying to clean up after me and my husband--her usual Monday task.  She was pale and shaking, and I immediately had an employee of my husband (who happened to be here doing something) drive her home.  As she left, she told me she had had diarrhea all night and had been vomiting.  By the time she left my house, she had fever.

How does one interpret her coming to work when any right-minded individual would have stayed at home?  My daughter Karina told me she thinks it is some kind of cultural message drilled into Mexican women (not men, mind you...), that you show up to work even if you are embalmed.  No logical reason made L. come to work:  I do NOT dock pay for sick days since my ladies are almost never sick.  I give them days off whenever they need or want them, knowing that they never abuse the privilege.  They have time off for family emergencies, family events of importance, official holidays, one day a week just to give myself a rest from having the house full of people, appointments with doctors, you name it.

Was it a misguided sense of loyalty that made her want to fulfill her work obligations even though she might be giving all of us--us, then our kids, then the grandkids--something like rotavirus or a raging stomach infection?  Karina said she has told everyone who ever worked in her home that coming to work even with a cold was verboten, but she says they just don't listen--so of course, she sends them home and docks their pay not for being sick but for not paying attention to her. 

As she left, L. threatened to come to work today.  I told her not to, but I may have to send her home again if she darkens my doorway.

Meanwhile, I sit here wondering if I have the energy to go walk/trot...